Acceptances & Testimonials2015-2016

Here are two things you should know about our team:

1. More than 80% of the students we work with gain acceptance into one of their top choice schools, and 98% of those who have applied to the Top 50 schools have been accepted.

2. But we don't base our success solely on our students' college acceptances.

Why? Because there are so many other things that our students have done well (GPA, SAT/ACT, Extracurriculars, Life) before meeting us that have prepared them to write a great personal statement. Instead:

We measure our success in other ways...

Each time a student tells us that working with us has made him a better writer

Each time a student tells us we've helped her gain confidence

Or when we receive a testimonial like this:

Ethan you are truly a unique soul, and the things you have taught me about life, the future, writing, communicating, and people are some of the most valuable lessons I have learned in my whole life. I couldn't have picked a better leader to guide me through my college application journey and my first semester of Senior year. If I could go back and change any aspect of my experience with you I would not change a single thing, and I mean that literally. I grew so much from this process with you, and I truly feel as though we have become friends. Today in class, our assignment was to write down our top 5 heroes, and you were on my list. Why? Because you have spent a majority of your life helping others discover what makes them special and different. You not only guide students through the application process, but help motivate us to become the leaders of tomorrow. You never judged me and are always optimistic. I admire your values Ethan, and I will always look up to you as a role model. Thank you for all of your help.

That's how we know we've made a real impact. And that's why we love our work.

But we also don’t mind bragging a little. And, because parents are sometimes curious, we’ve compiled a list of acceptances from the past two years (2015 & 2016)

“Ethan you are truly a unique soul, and the things you have taught me about life, the future, writing, communicating, and people are some of the most valuable lessons I have learned in my whole life. I couldn't have picked a better leader to guide me through my college application journey and my first semester of Senior year. If I could go back and change any aspect of my experience with you I would not change a single thing, and I mean that literally. I grew so much from this process with you, and I truly feel as though we have become friends. Today in class, our assignment was to write down our top 5 heroes, and you were number to. Why? Because you have spent a majority of your life helping others discover what makes them special and different. You not only guide students through the application process, but help motivate us to become the leaders of tomorrow. You are also a hero to me because you have so much passion and love towards your careers, whether it be voice narrations or being The College Essay Guy. You never judged me and are always optimistic. I admire your values Ethan, and I will always look up to you as a role model. Thank you for all of your help.”

“Ethan honestly taught me more about being a good writer than I've learned in any classroom before or since. He showed me not only how to write well, but also how to craft a great story that encapsulates the best parts of who I am. I am thoroughly convinced that he played a huge part in bringing out my best voice and thereby getting me into my dream schools. I wish I had worked with him sooner!”

“Ethan was absolutely wonderful throughout my college application process. During our sessions he had a patient, encouraging, and calm manner (perfect for working with a stressed-out college applicant!) I also found that he has an amazing talent for listening. When we talked, Ethan would attentively listen to my thoughts and ideas and then show me how I might incorporate them into a successful essay. I began the essay-writing process overwhelmed (How could I possibly write a meaningful personal statement that accurately portrayed who I am as a person and would also be memorable to an admissions officer in 650 words??) Within our first session, Ethan helped me find a perfect framework for my common application essay and ultimately helped me turn in a finished product which I was genuinely proud of. Ethan provided invaluable support and advice during our time together. He helped me gain admission to my dream school and I would definitely recommend him to any other college applicant.”

“Ethan was more than just your college admissions aid. He has been a teacher, a friend, and most of all, a trust-worthy guide that would help you realize your true potential/self during this crazy bonanza called college admissions process. In particular, his own know-hows (e.g. worksheets) helped me to figure out how I can put my best foot forward to college admissions officers. All in all, take my words when I say that this guy knows what he's doing.”

“Working with Ethan has been a truly insightful and eye-opening experience. I learned so much about myself through brainstorming and writing over the course of seven months. I was able to make the most of the college application process with Ethan guiding me along the way. Thank you so much!”

“I started working with Ethan in the fall of my senior year. I was completely lost on what to write about or how to say it; then I started working with Ethan. He helped me explore different topics for my essay and helped me decide which type of essay would be best for my personal experiences. I loved that Ethan made it feel like it was a game, I looked forward to our essay meetings and I loved hearing his advice on how to make my story better. Ethan really made me forget that it was work that needed to be completed, rather it felt like fun to me and I appreciate him greatly for that. He was always prompt with response time, and always cleared parts of his extremely busy schedule to work with me and make sure I had all the tools I needed to write a successful paper. All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better mentor during the college writing process and I am so proud and happy that Ethan helped me write an essay that exemplified my fullest potential as a student, and even just as a person. Thank you for all your help Mr. College Essay Guy, you rock!”

Accepted: The University of Texas at Austin – Moody College of Communications, George Washington-School of Media and Public Relations, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University – Schieffer College of Communications, CU-Bolder ,Indiana University, University of Georgia – Grady College of Communications

Will Attend: The University of Texas at Austin – Moody College of Communications (my first choice and first choice major!)

“Ethan's positive and creative way of approaching the entire college process makes writing personal statements an explorative experience where a student is able to better understand themselves while trying to understand what college will best fit them.”

Accepted: MassArt, Pratt, SAIC, Parsons

Will Attend: Parsons

“Thanks to College Essay Guy, my essays were one of the strongest parts of my application. They helped me write effective essays that addressed the prompt well while saving me time. They guided me to write essays that fit the requirements of multiple schools. I have even been able to use the essays on applications outside of the college process. Overall, I would highly recommend working with College Essay Guy!”

Accepted: University of Michigan, University of Washington

Will Attend: University of Michigan

“I am so happy that I got the opportunity to work with Ethan. I had no idea how to write my essays. I only knew I wanted to have them be humorous in order to reflect the person I am in real life. Ethan didn't tell me what to write about, but instead allowed me to dig deep into my life in order to find the thing that makes me unique. I learned things about myself that I wouldn't have ever learned wihtout working on my college applications with Ethan. He pushed me to my best so that when the time came to send my applications in, I was proud and confident in the work I had done. I have no idea what I would have done without Ethan and I am so grateful of his guidance and support!”

“You were a wonderful counselor to work with. Your guidance not only allowed me to craft a beautiful and thoughtful essay but also made me reflect critically about my life experiences, a skill that will help me years beyond the college process. Not to mention, you respond to emails crazy fast and were always accommodating to my schedule. (*I just committed to Yale!!)”

Deciding factor: “The campus visit. When I visited Yale, everything about it just seemed right. The campus is stunning, and its residential college system provides the intimacy and community of a small college with the resources of a large university.”

“I had no idea what to do for my common app essay, and after one 1-hour session, I was completely inspired and knew exactly what I wanted to say. Every time you looked over an essay draft, you quickly saw exactly what needed to be fixed or removed, when my parents didn’t. I came into each meeting really stressed out about the whole process, and left confident that I could get through anything.”

Accepted: Amherst College (+scholarship), Carleton College (+scholarship), Dartmouth College, Grinnell College (+scholarship), Rice University, University of Chicago, University of Colorado (+scholarship), University of Texas at Austin (+scholarship)

Will attend: Amherst

Deciding factors:“1.) The professors. 2.) I felt at home on my visit. 3.) Amherst offered me 25K in funding for research projects.”

“With your help during the college essay process, I have truly grown as a person and discovered parts of me even I didn't previously know. You create such a friendly and accepting environment that my essays truly became personal and representative of who I am. You really know how to help students present themselves in the best possible way and I am really grateful I worked with you.”

Deciding factors:“Stern has a 99% job placement after graduation, #2 most recruited undergraduate school on Wall Street, SO MANY STUDY ABROADS! + New York :3”

"Working on my college essays with you was an amazing, and very rewarding experience. You always pushed me to think further and out of the box, write something unique, different from the “cliché”, and for that I will always be grateful. I really appreciated your charisma, your empathy and your sense of humor. Thank you very much Ethan, a.k.a. the College Essay Guy!”

"Ethan, I cannot thank you enough for all of your help throughout the college process. Originally I found myself stumped when thinking about where to begin college essays, but together we finished my main Common App essay in less than a week! You taught me to think outside of the box and outside of my comfort zone, while still conveying my interests and passions in a unique light. My college essays wouldn't have been achievable without you, thank you! Go Bruins!"

“When I worked with you, I discovered so many things I never even considered about myself and what I wanted in life. You gave me so many resources to self-reflect, helping me to write the best personal statement ever. I cannot thank you enough for what you've done for me and all the support that you've given me.”

Deciding factor:“Reputation, location (there’s a genetics lab in the city, plus my sister is nearby), and my campus visit (but it wasn’t a love-at-first sight situation. I just had a sort of maternal instinct feeling -- I just knew).”

“Working with you was awesome. I started the college process worried about my essays. I went in thinking essays were going to be a weak point in my application, but it was the exact opposite. After I worked with you I felt my essays were one of the strongest parts of my application, and I think they helped me get into some of my "reach" schools. It was always a highlight working with you during the week because of the cool conversations we got to have. You're an awesome mentor and guide.”

“Ethan, honestly you gave me the motivation and inspiration to write my college essays. Through your guidance I honestly felt like the essay one that I enjoyed writing and that I could truly express myself through instead of just another college requirement paper. You really elucidated the college essay process and I looked forward to every meeting with you. I owe you a lot, thanks!”

Accepted: Boston University, Boston College, Brandeis, University of Washington, Creighton, University of Hawaii.

Will attend: Boston College (Pre-med)

Deciding factor: “I want to combine biology with philosophy and they have a great program for that.”

“One of the greatest virtues a person can have throughout the turbulent college application process is patience. You not only understand this principle but also incorporate it with your keen insight, personalized scheduling system, and organic writing process. I would highly recommend your services to any of my peers.”

Accepted: Dartmouth, UC Berkeley, George Washington, UCSD, UCLA

“Not only did you help me find what was unique about me, but you helped me succinctly share my story through the essays. You refined my ideas, but they were still my ideas, which is invaluable because creating an essay with your own words is a fantastic medium for introspection (this helped me realize what type of colleges are right for me and pointed me in the direction for my potential college major).”

Accepted: WashU, USC, Tufts, University of Washington, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Will attend: Wash U

Deciding factor:“I love the flexibility of their curriculum and especially the “Economics and Strategy” major is really cool. Also, the students I met on my visit were all smart and really awesome people, but very down to earth, which I liked.”

“Ethan, you were sooooooooo helpful in helping me form creative new ideas. I was able to formulate unique essays with awesome storylines and intriguing details which would've been impossible without your assistance. You helped me get accepted to one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation, and I could not thank you enough. Not to mention your generous sliding scale fees which allowed me to afford sessions with you, which I am extremely thankful for. You also helped me find unique parts of who I am as a person that I never knew existed. Again, thank you so much for your kind assistance and willingness to help, and I look forward to working with you again in the near future!”

Accepted: UCLA, UC Berkeley, Pomona College

Will attend: Pomona College

Deciding factor:“I loved the vibe at Pomona, plus they gave me more aid so Pomona was cheaper than going to a UC!”